The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of Claim 1. A device of this nature is known from patent application WO 9828969, filed by the same applicant. The drawback of the known device is that separate flows of liquid have to be generated in order to clean the filter element, making the device complicated.
The object of the invention is to avoid this drawback, and to this end the device is designed according to the characterizing part of Claim 1. As a result of the direction of flow through the filter element being reversed, the flow of liquid, which runs in the same line, cleans the filter element. The result is a simple device.
According to one embodiment, the device is designed according to Claim 2. In this way, the direction of flow is reversed in a simple manner.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed in accordance with Claim 3. As a result of the cleaning of the filter element being mechanized, the device can be connected to a control system and can be carried out automatically.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 4. In this way, it is easy to establish the presence of flakes or contamination on the filter element.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed in accordance with Claim 5. As a result of the detector and, if appropriate, the radiation source being positioned outside the flow of liquid, they will be less exposed to contamination and there will be less disruption.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 6. In this way, the liquid, such as milk, can flow uniformly through the filter element.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 7. In this way, air which is entrained by the liquid and liquid, such as milk, which is flowing in too quickly can easily be diverted past the filter element, thus limiting she formation of foam.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 8. In this way, it is simple to link the results of the detection to the source of the infection in an animal, so that specific measures can be taken and the animal can, for example, be picked out and treated.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 9. This ensures that milk of different levels of quality is stored in different storage tanks.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 10. In this way, the quality of milk which is to be delivered to a storage tank can be established and recorded in a simple and, if appropriate, automatable manner.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 11. In this way, it is possible to establish the quality of the milk in each quarter of the udder, with the result that the state of health of the milked animals can be established with greater accuracy.
The device also comprises a method according to Claim 12. This method ensures that it is possible, at each milking operation, to establish whether the milk which is removed is free of flakes or contamination. In this way, it is possible to accurately monitor the quality of the milk from each milked animal.
According to a refinement, the invention comprises a method according to Claim 13. This allows the quality of milk supplied by each animal to be accurately monitored and also allows the health of the udders of the milked animals to be monitored.
The invention also comprises a contamination meter for use in the abovementioned device and method.